Alloys - Flaking/bubbling

[amitc]

Just wondering if anyone else has flaking/bubbling alloy wheels? I've a 2006 IS250 and the alloys have started to do this again. They have been replaced already witihin the warranty period but now it is out of warranty and started again.

Lexus say that they can't do anything but I would expect the alloys not to age so quickly. Is it a manufacturing fault?

[Tango]

Just wondering if anyone else has flaking/bubbling alloy wheels? I've a 2006 IS250 and the alloys have started to do this again. They have been replaced already witihin the warranty period but now it is out of warranty and started again.

Lexus say that they can't do anything but I would expect the alloys not to age so quickly. Is it a manufacturing fault?

Same problem as the 1st generation IS200/300. Lexus trot out some excuse about UK being the only country they experience the problem. Hard to believe but they were happy to replace the rims within the 3 year warranty period rather than fix the problem. I had two brand new sets on my IS200, and subsequently refurbished the second set by an independant company after they also started bubbling after the warranty had expired. Have had no problems since the refurbishment.

My IS250 SE-L 17" rims had just started to bubble up after only just over a year from buying the car new. Unfortunately I had fitted aftermarket rims and IS350 discs and calipers and the Lexus dealership said they would only exchange the rims under warranty if I brought the 17" OEM rims in fitted to the car (they would no longer fit). However, I understand that unlike the IS200, the replacement rims are a set of four refurbished rims rather than new. In theory this should help extend the life, but if they have been refurbished to the original Toyota specification then probably not.

My IS250 rims are now fitted with winter tyres for the IS200 Sport during the winter months. I have sprayed them with PlastiDip, which is a synthetic rubber coating, to protect them from bubbling further due to the salt spread on the winter roads. Seems to have worked.

[gordi]

I have an 55 SEL and have just the same problem, been refurbished once ( grudgingly) and beginning to bubble again , What I cant understand is they are the same wheels on an Avensis and they dont have the problem , must be the manufacturer ? I have taken out the extended warranty and intend to pester Lexus again as they are bound to get worse over the winter. such a shame and you would think such a car maker would actually do something about it!

[amitc]

It just seems unfair and if enough of us complain at the same time, they might acknowledge that there is an issue. I have another car which is a 10 yr old BMW and no issues like this.

[Simon_D]

I don't see how most of these "refurbishments" are ever going to last. Unless you strip the wheel, make good any damage then powder coat it has got to be a waste of time. By definition any mobile wheel refurbisher won't be able to do a decent job. It is clear that Lexus dealers use these guys to give their secondhand cars a blow over for resale but the "repairs" show up within a few weeks of regular use. Mine were clearly bubbling then bodged by a "refurbisher" before the car was put on the forecourt.

[Tango]

I don't see how most of these "refurbishments" are ever going to last. Unless you strip the wheel, make good any damage then powder coat it has got to be a waste of time. By definition any mobile wheel refurbisher won't be able to do a decent job. It is clear that Lexus dealers use these guys to give their secondhand cars a blow over for resale but the "repairs" show up within a few weeks of regular use. Mine were clearly bubbling then bodged by a "refurbisher" before the car was put on the forecourt.

You've made a few assumptions. My IS250 SE-L was brand new from the factory, as was my IS200 Sport and both had bubbling/corrosion of the wheels after just over 12 months. The IS200 replacement were also brand new, not refurbished, and suffered the same problem.

The independent refurbisher I used was not 'a man in a van', but a workshop that chemically stripped the rims back to bare metal before spraying with etcher, primer and topcoat, and so far they've been OK for 3 years.

[Simon_D]

I wasn't suggesting that there was anything wrong with your wheel refurb. I can see from your other posts that you take great care with your car.

It was just a general comment about the poor quality of wheel refurbishers. Any decent job would be impossible to do in a van. In my opinion these mobile refurb jobs serve only one purpose and that is to tart up a car quickly and cheaply before sale.

[Exiled]

Have I been lucky or have they improved the quality of manufacture.My 250 SEL is coming up 2 years old in October and the standard fit 18" wheels are showing no signs whatsoever of any deterioration, they look just like new.

I wash them with ordinary car shampoo and every few months give them a polish with Turtle Wax Nano Tech wheel wax.

[Simon_D]

Now you've done it :).

I once posted on a bike site about the longevity of my bike's Battery.................... guess what happened within a week......!!! ;)

[Mildcheese]

On my second set of alloys. The alloys fitted when the car was new lasted 2 years, they replaced the lot under warranty. The current ones are 3 years old and are corroding all over. Lexus offered to replace 3 of them for £250 - I declined. Stuck with my rusty alloys!

[amitc]

On my second set of alloys. The alloys fitted when the car was new lasted 2 years, they replaced the lot under warranty. The current ones are 3 years old and are corroding all over. Lexus offered to replace 3 of them for £250 - I declined. Stuck with my rusty alloys!

How old is your car? If under 5 years they should say do 2 and they will give you 2 free. Kick up a fuss with Customer Relations. I'm going through that process at the moment. Max £150 for all 4 is what I'm trying to do.

[Thorium]

Hi All,

Warranty on alloys is for the first three years only, and extended warranty doesn't cover alloys. If you are lucky, you might be able to get the dealer to change any blistering alloys under the 12 months parts warranty. Obviously this will depend on when you last had the wheels replaced and assuming there is no evidence of kerbing. In my experience, even the slightest kerbing or any other damage will result in a flat refusal to replace the alloy, even if it's blistered to death. I couldn't even negotiate a discount.

I'm on my third set now (in 16 months!), all replaced due to significant blistering. However, I'm now outside both the 3 year car and 12 month parts warranty on the wheels, so when the current set blister I have a choice of 3rd party refurb or £330 each for new alloys.

When I had the last replacements the dealer informed me that the part number had changed on the wheel and suggested this may be due to a modification of some sort, perhaps the anti-corrosion treatment, but he couldn't be sure.

I'd be very interested to know how you get on with Customer Relations. I received a telephone call from Lexus yesterday about my satisfaction with the IS250 and made a point about the dreadful alloys - clearly there is a manufacturing deficiency, and I don't expect a premium car to have such a fault, etc, etc. I'm not expecting to hear anything positive at all in response, but I'll let you know if I do.

Matt

[savage]

I've just bought a 55 plate and there was plenty bubbling and flaking on the alloys. I'm booked into a bodyshop next week to get them chemically stripped back to bare metal before spraying with etcher, primer, 3 coats of paint and top-coat as a previous member has mentioned - costing me £350 for the 4 so hoping that they'll really last!

[Baldchap]

I was offered 3 years damage insurance for my alloys for £200 when I bought the car. Given that I bought the Lexus precisely because it won't fit in my garage (won it back for the bike, see?) I knew kerbing was going to be a risk so I went for it. I had a stone chip and bubbling on one wheel which Lexus replaced (actually all four were replaced) when I offered to kerb it and claim on that insurance instead! :)

[Wozza]

Interestingly my dealer informed me the other day that the newer type alloys on the face lifted IS220/250 don't suffer the blistering issues that the older ones do. Doesn't help the ones stuck with the old ones mind, but obviously a fault in the manufacturing process.

[savage]

Wozza - what year was your dealer referring to for the face lifted models?

[Tango]

Interestingly my dealer informed me the other day that the newer type alloys on the face lifted IS220/250 don't suffer the blistering issues that the older ones do. Doesn't help the ones stuck with the old ones mind, but obviously a fault in the manufacturing process.

Flying Pig alert Was he a Salesman by any chance???

[Wozza]

Not the salesman and referring to the new IS220/250 not sure which year they came in (last year?) but the ones with the indicators on the wing mirrors and the alloys look completely different to my 250 SE-L standard fit alloys. Maybe its too early to tell but lets hope they have fixed it. Again not that this helps everyone with the old style alloys. Would be interesting to here from anyone who has these blistering problems on the newer models.